President Trump's announcement that he offered UFC President Dana White the role of White House press secretary sparked a flurry of online jokes, with many speculating that the president may have confused White with a former Pentagon official also named Dana White.
The speculation gained traction on social media platforms like X, with users humorously suggesting that Trump was pitched Dana W. White, a former assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs and chief Pentagon spokesperson, and mistakenly believed it was the UFC boss.
One widely shared post on X read, "I guarantee you someone recommended her to Trump, and he thought they meant UFC Dana White and nobody is allowed to correct him lol." Another user drew a parallel to the infamous 2020 Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference, asking, "So what are the chances someone suggested this Dana White and Trump pulled a Four Seasons Total Landscaping?"
However, the former Pentagon spokesperson, Dana W. White, addressed the confusion directly in a LinkedIn post. "To everyone texting me congratulations: thank you, but you have the wrong Dana White," she wrote. "I’ve stood at a podium and taken questions from the Pentagon press corps. I have never stood in an octagon. I’d like to keep it that way."
She added, "It is nice for once that, that Dana White is being confused with this Dana White. Best of luck to the next White House Press Secretary!"
Dana W. White served as the Pentagon's top public affairs official during Trump's first administration. Her previous experience includes work as an editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal, a publicist for Fox News, and a foreign policy advisor for the late Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.
There is no indication that President Trump confused the two individuals, and the internet's speculation appears to be an online joke.
UFC President Dana White has a public history of supporting President Trump, having spoken at multiple Republican National Conventions. Trump announced the offer on Truth Social, calling the UFC president a "violent Fighter and Warrior" and suggesting he bring UFC fighters along as assistants.
Following Trump's announcement, UFC President Dana White posted an AI-generated image of himself behind the White House briefing room podium on Instagram, with the caption "On to the next chapter." He later told reporters that he was flying to Washington to meet with Trump. The White House has not confirmed if White will accept the position.